The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gentiana makinoi and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘White Magic’. ‘White Magic’ represents a new Gentian, an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.
The Inventor discovered the new cultivar, ‘White Magic’, as a naturally occurring branch mutation of ‘Blue Magic’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,704) during crop production in a greenhouse in Reeuwijk, The Netherlands in the summer of 2008.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by in vitro propagation under the direction of the Inventor in Rijswijk, The Netherlands in January 2009. It has been determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar after observing plants grown outdoors in a field for two years in Reeuwijk, The Netherlands. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘White Magic’ from all other cultivars of Gentiana known to the Inventor.                1. ‘White Magic’ exhibits flowers that are clear white in color with specs of yellow-green.        2. ‘White Magic’ exhibits a dwarf and compact plant habit.        3. ‘White Magic’ exhibits an abundance of flowers.        4. ‘White Magic’ blooms from May to September in The Netherlands if spent blooms are removed.        
‘White Magic’ differs from its parent plant, ‘Blue Magic’ in having flowers that are white in color and in having a longer bloom season. ‘White Magic’ can also be compared to ‘Magic Purple’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,809) and ‘Marsha’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,562) which are similar in flower form. Both cultivars differ from ‘White Magic’ in having purple flowers and are not as compact in habit. There are no other cultivars or varieties of Gentiana with white flowers known to the Inventor that are similar to ‘White Magic’.